Pear-shaped puffball

Description:

This puffball species is pear-shaped to nearly globose and supported by a small sterile base attached to the substrate by white mycelial strands (rhizomorphs). When young this puffball is whitish and covered with tiny warts and granules. With maturity the spore case (peridium) is yellow- brown to reddish-brown and develops a pore-like mouth (the ostiole) at the apex allowing spores to be "puffed out" when the outer case is disturbed by raindrops or twigs striking it. The spore producing internal tissue (gleba) is moist and white at first, turning olive-brown and powdery when mature. ( http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wo... )

Habitat:

location: North America, Europe edibility: Edible fungus colour: White to cream, Grey to beige normal size: Less than 5cm cap type: Other stem type: Lateral, rudimentary or absent spore colour: Light to dark brown habitat: Grows on wood ( http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/D... ) ----( http://www.mushroomexpert.com/morganella... )

Notes:

Edibility: Edible. Comments: This species is edible only when the internal spore tissue (gleba) is completely white and uniform in appearance. Care must be taken not to confuse puffballs with young stages of Amanita species which are enclosed by a universal veil. A longitudinal section of a young Amanita will reveal some tissue differentiation into gills. Gills never occur in puffballs